Since June 2023, Cameroon has been piloting the “Healthy Food Market” project in two Douala markets, Ndogpassi and New Deido, as a social and transformational initiative aimed at improving food safety. The project uses scientific evidence to encourage behaviour change among traders, addressing long-standing hygiene issues that previously contributed to foodborne illnesses. Traders like Zakariaou Mbaimoun, a butcher at Ndogpassi market, acknowledge that prior practices such as using formalin to preserve meat and poor stall cleanliness posed serious health risks.
Foodborne diseases remain a major concern in the African Region, affecting over 91 million people and causing approximately 137,000 deaths annually. In Cameroon, over 200 cases of food poisoning were reported in 2024, including 35 children. Surveys conducted in 2021 and 2022 revealed widespread non-compliant pesticide residues in food and poor hygiene practices across markets, highlighting the need for interventions to prevent contamination along the food chain.
The “Healthy Food Market” project was introduced to promote compliance with hygiene standards and prevent foodborne diseases. The initiative follows a One Health approach, integrating multiple sectors to manage interconnected risks. With financial support from Sweden, WHO has developed food safety guidelines, strengthened stakeholders’ surveillance and outbreak response capacity, and advocated for the inclusion of food safety in national health policies. Public-private partnerships have also been mobilized, including donations of sanitation equipment from the Douala Autonomous Port, enabling hygiene activities in 26 markets.
The project has trained 150 community leaders in waste management, sensitized over 3,000 market users, and trained 25 stakeholders in food safety. Traders have reported noticeable changes, such as avoiding displaying food on the ground, cleaning sales areas daily, storing waste properly, and improving market infrastructure to reduce flooding and mud. These improvements have enhanced food safety and reassured customers, who now receive practical advice from traders about safe food handling.
The project initially focused on improving governance, coordination, communication, and training. With progress on these objectives, the next phase will target technical and sanitary infrastructure improvements. WHO plans to enhance market facilities, provide access to drinking water, improve sanitation, and strengthen wastewater management, aiming to reduce diarrheal diseases and protect vulnerable populations such as children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Traders in the pilot markets are increasingly taking ownership of hygiene and safety measures, fostering a culture of safer and healthier food environments.
